The topic of your thread has been discussed successfully for 17 pages. The fact that the discussion did not result in an overwhelming consensus supporting your personal view does not mean that the topic has not been discussed.
How do you conclude that 17 pages of discussion on a topic means that that topic cannot be discussed?
You even note that your question has been answered. If the topic had not been discussed, how could your question have been answered?
Ron, that is interesting. You and I have reached a completely different conclusion from the 17 pages. Yes indeed there are 17 pages of discussions. But the discussion is about the impossibility of naming a best or even a group of best. Or it is about basketball players or types of food. You even made car analogies.
After 17 pages, my question has been answered because no one was willing to discuss or even nominate a top audio product or group of products. There has been a discussion, but not a discussion about the intent of the title.
I made one nomination and got attacked ruthlessly. I named a product and actually gave a rationale for my nomination. And people criticized me for not having heard every cartridge in the world and every system in every room, or naming a cartridge that few people have heard and that is no longer available, or the hysterical opinion that a cartridge might be invented in the future that will be better or that in the future our descendants might be listening to music completely differently so it’s not legitimate to nominate a single cartridge as the best. So the conclusion I reach is that a best cannot be discussed. I tried and was flatly rejected.
I discuss what I think is best or what they think is best with people away from this forum. And that is how I learn things. These are friendly respectful discussions. We can’t have those here on this topic. That is obvious to me. No one was willing to discuss the cartridge I nominated, and Elliot who proposed groups of products in different categories was not even willing to name components he would put in the top category. How is that any kind of discussion?
I have my answer and I will try to sit on my fingers from now on as I have nothing more to contribute to this thread, but I thought I would show you the respect and respond to your post.